"I knew the pressure of the hand," said the General. "The saddle came from the Prince. I am so certain of it that I could invite that domino to dinner."
"Do so. If it be the Prince he will certainly come," replied the Count.
"And if it is the other he will not come," said the General, and approached the black domino, who was just speaking with the King. The General gave a very respectful invitation "that they might make each other's acquaintance," and he smiled in his certainty concerning the person he was inviting. He spoke loud and distinctly.
The domino raised his mask, and it was George. "Do you repeat your invitation, General?" he asked.
The General certainly seemed to grow an inch taller, assumed a more stately demeanor, and took two steps backward and one step forward, as if he were dancing a minuet, and then came as much gravity and expression into the face of the General as the General could contrive to infuse into it; but he replied,
"I never retract my words! You are invited, Professor!" and he bowed with a glance at the King, who must have heard the whole dialogue.
Now, there was a company to dinner at the General's, but only the old Count and his protege were invited.
"I have my foot under his table," thought George. "That's laying the foundation stone."
And the foundation stone was really laid, with great ceremony, at the house of the General and of the General's lady.
The man had come, and had spoken quite like a person in good society, and had made himself very agreeable, so that the General had often to repeat his "Charming!" The General talked of this dinner, talked of it even to a court lady; and this lady, one of the most intellectual persons about the court, asked to be invited to meet the Professor the next time he should come. So he had to be invited again; and he was invited, and came, and was charming again; he could even play chess.